Enter the Jungle
by SPD Time Shadow
Summary: OO/JF crossover: When the Jungle Fury rangers are at their weakest and tough tests await, it can be hard to find the answers. But looking into the past isn't always a bad thing, and help from some familiar faces may be exactly what the team need...
1. Chapter 1

Several Rinshi foot soldiers hit the ground of the palace floor as Dai Shi's temper grew. Despite the return of the Phantom Beasts, he was yet to see an improvement in his efforts to defeat the Power Rangers and his patience was wearing thin.

'I thought your Rinzin power would be strong enough to destroy the rangers but since your arrival we've experienced failure after failure!' Dai Shi roared, slamming his fist on the table. His temperamental nature was something the remaining Phantom Beasts and their generals had gotten used to by now; the constant victories of the rangers was starting to become an annoyance to all.

'I'm sorry master but the rangers have spirit, too much so it appears for us to overcome' Scorch replied, trying to justify the defeats of his warriors in the past few battles.

'Yes, but we can defeat the rangers!' Snapper interjected. 'It just appears that maybe we are going the wrong way about it.'

Dai Shi pondered the thought. Maybe he needed to consider a different strategy regarding the defeat of the rangers, or maybe do something to dampen their ferocious spirit...

'Of course! Their spirit or more specifically, their animal spirit! It's what every gives every great warrior the power to continue battling when weak, it's the driving force behind the rangers' constant victories. If we take away their spirit, they will lose the momentum that allows them to keep fighting!' Dai Shi's words echoed around both the room and inside the minds of his generals as they considered the plan.

'Without their animal spirits the rangers will be powerless to even morph; it's perfect master.' Scorch replied. 'But how will we take them from the rangers? The connection between them and their spirits is strong and it is impossible for one warrior to connect to two spirits; it would destroy them'

'We need warriors strong enough to hone an animal spirit without already having one, and I know just where to look...' Dai Shi mumbled, more to himself than to Scorch or Snapper.

Meanwhile, Jungle Karma Pizza was overflowing with customers as Casey, Lily, Theo and Dom went about their usual rounds. As Lily delivered yet another large pepperoni pizza to a hungry customer, she began to wonder whether her shift would ever finish. It was 2:45 and the restaurant was set to close at three, but each minute seemed to last an age as she checked the clock every few seconds. She had agreed to see Master Phant after work in order to help Gabby for her latest dance competition and didn't want to be late.

Theo also had plans, well one plan; training. He was fully aware of the fast approaching test that would face him in order for him to earn his master stripes, and a battle with the illustrious Master Swoop was not one to be taken lightly. He had prepared a strict regime in order to become physically and mentally prepared for the upcoming task.

Casey meanwhile was more laid back. The other rangers always wondered how he managed to go about his day so carefree; he was the team's leader, yet responsibility never seemed to faze him. The truth of the matter was though; Casey could feel something was wrong. He and his animal spirit were one and he could sense Dai Shi's plotting as he rounded off his shift by delivering his final pizza to the people of Ocean Bluff. 'Something's just not right,' the Red Ranger thought to himself, 'Dai Shi is up to something and even though I'm not sure what, I'm sure we'll soon find out...'


	2. Chapter 2

Dai Shi and his Phantom Beast generals approached the cave which they believed to be the site of the lost warriors they sought the help of. The former had been able to recall a group of warriors from the rangers past, and believe them to be the ones who could help him in his time of need.

The entrance to the cave was blocked by rubble that had built up over several months now. Snapper soon destroyed time's handiwork by with a powerful sweep of his staff, allowing passage for his acquaintances.

Dai Shi entered first, using his natural instincts to trace the energy signals that would still be apparent as they emanated from the souls of the deceased warriors. Sensing several traces, he pointed to his generals to stand in particular spots. Once he had finished, he, Camille, Scorch and Snapper were stood in a square shape.

'Now my generals, summon your Rinzin power!' Dai Shi roared, as a flash of bright purple light illuminated the entrance to the cave.

Meanwhile, Lily was going through the dance routine her and Gabby had prepared ready for the upcoming competition. The duo had retreated to the hills to the home of Lily's master, who was also Gabby's grandfather, Master Phant, who watched on clearly impressed by the latter's progress. But, proceedings were quickly disrupted by numerous explosions; the roar rippled through the forest and the smoke billowed high above the trees.

'Sorry Gabby,' Lily hurriedly grabbed her bag. 'I need to get back; we'll continue tomorrow.' She reassured her before racing towards the forest. As soon as she felt she was out of sight, she used her natural Cheetah spirit to speed towards the cause of the disruption.

The explosion hadn't gone unnoticed at the Pai Zhua Academy either, where Casey, Theo and RJ were training. 'What's that?' Theo asked curiously, alerting the others to the smoky sky. 'I don't know, but we better find out' Casey replied as the trio set off towards the disturbance.

When they arrived, they saw Lily being thrown to the ground. Clearly hurt, the boys raced over and helped her up, before looking to see what had caused Lily's fall.

'Dai Shi!' Theo expressed angrily, but it was clear that their enemy was not alone. The Blue Ranger also recognised Camille in her human form, and Scorch and Snapper. But four, unknown warriors had joined Dai Shi's infamous troupe...

'Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!' The four rangers called as they transformed. They charged towards the group ahead of them but were blasted backwards by two of the newcomers who were holding pistols. Their lasers now switched into blade form as the two warriors led their fellow newcomers against the Jungle Fury rangers. The ones who had fired at the team met with Casey and Theo in hand to hand combat while the other two clashed with Lily and RJ.

While the battle commenced, Scorch and Snapper moved to either side of the battle while Camille moved behind so that the four villains formed a similar square to the one in the cave. Purple light flared around the lines which had now been formed to complete the square and with a roar from Dai Shi the light enveloped the battle

When the brightness cleared, the rangers had been cast to the ground completely powerless; the 'attack' had caused them to demorph but it was more than that. The rangers seemed sick, like they were suffering from an illness. And as they looked up at their new foes they found the cause of their sickness; the new warriors had stolen their animal spirits...


	3. Chapter 3

The rangers were left scattered pitifully across the ground while the new warriors to join Dai Shi looked on with the new powers they had stolen emanating from them.

'My plan worked!' Dai Shi roared, clearly pleased with his handiwork. 'Rangers, these are the Fearcats! They have stolen your animal spirits and now they're going to finish you off once and for all!'

The Fearcats started to close in, approaching the Jungle Fury Rangers who had barely been able to pick themselves off the floor; the loss of their animal spirits had not only weakened them but made them ill, like losing a vital organ. As the Fearcats raised their weapons however, they were struck with a fleet of lasers; help had finally arrived.

But the one who had rescued them wasn't Dominic; in fact the rangers didn't recognise their saviour at all. He looked like a ranger, dressed in red like Casey, but not a member of the Pai Zhua. His ranger suit seemed more armoured and advanced with a blaster attached to his belt and a long, lance like weapon in his hands.

'You again?' one of the Fearcats said, clearly irritated by the appearance of the stranger. 'You rangers keep popping up, and it's really starting to get on my nerves!' On the final word he fired his lasers at the newcomer, but he deflected them with his lance before engaging in hand to hand combat with the Fearcat who had challenged him. The latter had been the one to take Casey's Tiger spirit as he was using its power in the fight, but the new ranger was more than holding his own and soon sent him flying with a sweep of his lance.

'Come on Benglo! We can resolve this another time' one of the other Fearcats said and sure enough, the defeated Fearcat retreated to the side of Dai Shi before the group teleported away; Seeing that the fight was now over, the ranger went to check on the Jungle Fury team.

'You guys alright?' the stranger asked

'Who...are...you?' Casey managed to ask

'My name's Mack, I'm the Red Operation Overdrive Ranger,' Mack told them 'but I'll explain later; do you guys have a base where I can take you so you can rest?'

'Jungle...Karma...Pizza...' RJ managed to say before seemingly passing out.

_Jungle Karma Pizza_

Four beds had been set up on the upper floor of the restaurant, a ranger occupying each of them.

'They don't seem to be improving' Dominic said, sounding concerned; he had come over to Jungle Karma Pizza as soon as he heard about the incident with the Fearcats, but since his arrival the rangers had shown no signs of improvement and if anything were getting worse.

'The Fearcats stole their animal spirits; I'm guessing it's made them too ill to even stand.' Mack mirrored Dom's concern.

'I'll ask the Pai Zhua Masters if they can help' Dom replied, before leaving his ill friends in the hands of Fran and Mack. But while Fran kept the Jungle Fury team supplied with water and anything else they may need, Mack was distracted; how had the Fearcats come back? And why were they working for Dai Shi? Mack was sure there was something more to it, and he was determined to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

Dai Shi was on his throne, Camille by his side and both Scorch and Snapper nearby. The four Fearcats were kneeling at his feet.

'Fearcats!' He announced 'I have bestowed upon you powers of greatness, powers which have made you even stronger than before. As reward for this you will aid me in my plans'

The four Fearcats, heads still bowed, simply nodded in reply.

'Benglo, you have inherited the Tiger spirit' he told the tiger like Fearcat.

'Mig, you have the Jaguar Spirit' he now addressed the second Fearcat; Mig and Benglo had been the longest serving of the Fearcats and were considered by Dai Shi as his strongest additions, hence their inheritance of the Tiger and jaguar spirits.

'Cheetar, you unsurprisingly have inherited the Cheetah spirit and Crazar the Wolf spirit. These spirits will give you power like never before; now tear up the city and draw out what remains of the Pai Zhua so they can be defeated.' Dai Shi concluded.

'It will be done' Mig replied

_Jungle Karma Pizza_

'They're getting worse...' Fran said, worry evident in her voice as she tended to RJ.

'The loss of their animal spirits has seen a rapid decline in their health,' replied Master Finn who, along with Master Swoop and Master Phant, had arrived at the restaurant to offer their help. 'However I cannot determine whether this decline will continue or whether their will stabilise at some point; it is unheard of for warriors to be stripped of their animal spirits like this'

'How can we get them back?' Mack asked, not wanting the worst case scenario to become a reality.

'I guess they have to be defeated so the spirits return to their rightful owners,' Master Finn replied, but he now moved away from the group and closer to RJ 'It's gonna be alright son, we'll get your spirits back'

_Dai Shi's Palace_

Dai Shi had dismissed the Fearcats several minutes ago however they had gathered in a nearby corridor and were whispering amongst themselves.

'We have to collect the artefacts again if we're going to begin our conquest of this planet' Mig was saying.

'With the current team of rangers out of action, there won't be anyone to stop us if we revive Agrios this time' Cheetar continued.

'I'll attack Ocean Bluff to appease Dai Shi, while you three hunt for Minerva's Staff, The Root of Hesper and The Sands of Sila. After that we'll find the Octavian Chalice, revive Agrios, and conquer this world!' Benglo concluded.

The Fearcats disbanded to their respective places; little did they know that Camille had used her spirit to blend with the walls and had heard the whole conversation.

'So...looks like Dai Shi's new warriors can't be trusted,' she was saying to herself 'But I'm sure they'll still be of some use' she smiled

_Jungle Karma Pizza_

The TV screen flickered with explosions of colour as Benglo fired his blasters at the civilians who had begun to flee from Ocean Bluff

'Looks like we've got company' said Dom when he saw the screen

'Can you guys handle this?' Mack asked Dom and the Masters 'I can recruit some more help but I need to get back home first; I'll be back as soon as I can'

'We're gonna need a lot of help,' Dom replied 'We can hold them off, you do what you gotta do'

Mack simply nodded in response to the Rhino Ranger before leaving Jungle Karma Pizza. Dom soon followed, heading to the city to tackle the arrival of Benglo...


	5. Chapter 5

Dom arrived just in time; Benglo had been firing his lasers at the countless innocent bystanders who had been in Ocean Bluff at the time of the attack. But now they had all cleared, and it was just the Rhino ranger against the Fearcat

'Well well well,' Benglo announced 'the last remaining ranger; once you're destroyed this world will be ours!'

'I wouldn't bet on it!' Dominic roared as he charged into battle. Benglo's laser fire shot towards him but the Rhino Ranger deflected them with his Rhino Blade before slashing at the Fearcat's midriff

The Fearcat was floored by the strike but recovered and, still on the ground, fired a bombardment of lasers at Dom. However the heavy fire had merely provided a distraction as Benglo had now recovered and, converting his blasters into blades, sliced at Dom. The impact of the two strikes sent the Rhino Ranger flying into a staircase which led to the second floor of an apartment building. Using this to his advantage, Dom raced up the stairs before switching his blade into its laser mode and ducking below some cover

'Rhino Stampede!' he called, watching as his lasers struck Benglo. The Fearcat had nowhere to run; Dom's ascent to the second floor had given him the perfect place to launch his assault and left Benglo exposed. Dom leapt from the second level, his Morpher back in its blade form, and sliced through the Fearcat before landing on the ground behind him

'This isn't over ranger!' Benglo spat 'once we have retrieved the necessary artefacts we will revive Agrios and take this world!'

'Agrios? What's that?' Dom asked

'You'll soon see' Benglo's reply was sinister

'Tell me!' Dom demanded

'Sooner rather than later by the looks of things,' Benglo continued 'prepare for the end ranger, it will be upon you very soon!'

With that Benglo teleported away, leaving Dom confused; sensing a need to trail the Fearcat, he got in touch with Fran

'Fran do you have any idea where he's gone?'

'The Jungle Karma Pizza worker started frantically checking the single monitor that RJ had installed on the second floor of the restaurant

'Erm...I don't know! I don't understand half of this!' she squealed but soon her attention was drawn to RJ who was now, slowly but surely, staggering towards the console. He flicked a few switches, his weary eyes focusing as intently as possible on the console as he waited. After several other button presses and another few flicks of a switch, a few numbers appeared on the screen

'Co...co...' RJ struggled to speak

'Erm co? Co...co...co-ordinates! They're co-ordinates!' Fran exclaimed 'We've found him Dom, I'll send you the location' she told him before quickly forwarding the stats to the Rhino Ranger

'Copy that Fran, I'm on my way' he replied before heading in the direction of the place Benglo had teleported too...

'It's got to be here somewhere!' Cheetar snapped

'What's the problem?' Benglo asked as he materialised before his fellow Fearcats; his sharp eyes quickly noted that the others had amassed the Root of Hesper, the Sands of Sila and the Minerva Staff.

'We can't find the Octavian Chalice' Mig told him

'Have you got the right place?' Benglo asked the obvious, prompting a glare from Cheetar. But it wasn't the latter who answered him, nor was it Mig, or even Crazar; it was another, yet _familiar _voice

'Oh you've got the right place,' the voice told them, moving out of the shade of the tree to reveal his identity 'you just weren't quick enough'

'Dai Shi!' Mig exclaimed, seeing the warrior who had revived them now joined by Camille and his other Phantom Beast Generals

'You will pay for defying me Fearcats...you've just made your biggest mistake' he told them gravely

'That's what you think!' Benglo shouted before charging at Dai Shi. His run however was cut short as the Phantom Beast King had blasted him, leaving him motionless on the floor. Moments passed but Benglo didn't move; only the Tiger Spirit which had been bestowed upon him dared stir as it rose from his lifeless form and fled the scene

'What will happen to the Tiger Spirit?' Scorch asked

'It will return to the Red Ranger' Dai Shi informed him

However their conversation was cut short by the Fearcats who had now raced to engage the Phantom Beasts in battle

'Keep them busy' Dai Shi told his generals

Meanwhile Dom had arrived, the Octavian Chalice had presumably been in the cave Dom could see atop the peak but was now in Dai Shi's possession, with the Fearcats holding the three artefacts. However the latter were now engaging the Phantom Beast Generals in battle; maybe they had betrayed Dai Shi? Whatever the reason, Dom knew he had to get his hands on at least one of the artefacts; as far as he could gather, all four pieces were required to form the puzzle so if he could just get one he could prevent the summoning of Agrios.

The battle closest to him was between Cheetar and Snapper, but both were too engrossed in the fight to notice him. He was hidden well but still close; if only he could get a little closer...

Dom was snapped out of his thoughts by the loud thud caused by Cheetar's body dropping to the ground; the Fearcat lay reeling, Snapper lingering over him. It was only as he watched the Phantom Beast General lower his staff that he noticed them; the Sands of Sila

They were lying unmoving on the ground, still in the small glass vessel and mere millimetres away from Dom's grasp. As the staff was lowered the Rhino Ranger leapt, sweeping the artefact into his hand and landing perfectly on the other side of Snapper. He had just enough time to hear Cheetar's cry of pain and feel the heat of Lily's Spirit as it now left the lifeless form before sprinting away.

He heard the cries of both Mig and Crazar as they were destroyed by the other Phantom Beast Generals; at least the rangers all had their spirits back now but Dom knew he was next. He continued to run but was soon hit by a blast from Dai Shi. Clutching his chest from the fall, the Rhino Ranger slowly picked himself off the ground to face the Phantom Beast King.

'Hand over the Sands of Sila' Dai Shi demanded

'Not a chance' Dom spat

Dai Shi took a quick glance at Scorch and Snapper. 'Fine,' he said 'have it your way'

With that he flicked his hand in the direction of Dom, prompting the pair of Phantom Beast Generals to attack. They flew at the Rhino Ranger who was too weak to fight back, but they never made contact. They were instead joined back by two warriors who had joined the fray...


	6. Chapter 6

Dom looked up to see two, unfamiliar rangers standing in front of him; they wore suits similar to Mack yet theirs were blue and pink instead of red. Both held blades in their hands, which had been used to hold off the Phantom Beast Generals and to protect Dom.

'Who are you?' Dai Shi asked impatiently as his generals returned to his side

'A few rangers you don't wanna mess with' replied the blue one coolly, earning a laugh from his pink counterpart 'I've always wanted to say something like that' he added

'I care not,' Dai Shi interrupted 'if you are not with me then you are against me, and it appears you have chosen your side. Prepare for your demise'

'Oh I don't think so,' the blue one replied, before the two rangers pulled out their primary weapons 'ready Rose?'

'You got it' the Pink Ranger replied before both raised their weapons and soon all Dominic could see was a large torrent of water which engulfed Dai Shi's troupe. While the Blue Ranger controlled the jet, the Pink Ranger dropped back to help Dom

'Come on, we need to go' she ushered him through the nearby trees and away from the site of the battle. Gripping the Sands of Sila and trusting his fellow ranger, Dom obliged and followed her

_Jungle Karma Pizza_

Dom was thankful of the opportunity to rest as he took a seat in the attic of the restaurant; he and the two rangers had escaped and returned to the base of the Jungle Fury Rangers' operations. It was good to see his team well again after their spirits had returned, the masters helping nurse their former students back to the epitome of health

'Thank you for your help rangers' the Rhino Ranger eventually managed to say, getting his breath back after the battle and consequent escape

'Just doing our job' replied the male with a smile, Dom recognising him as the Blue Ranger with the trim on his uniform

'How did you guys know we needed your help?' RJ asked a question which had been puzzling the whole group

'Well after finding out about the Fearcats, Mack decided to come and help you guys,' the presumed Pink Ranger now spoke, her darker skin betraying her European heritage 'but he realised he'd need his whole team to fight them while you guys were out of action. Fortunately for you, Dai Shi figured out the Fearcats' plan and destroyed them for us and subsequently giving you your powers back'

'However there is still the issue of Agrios,' continued the Blue Ranger, 'and if Dai Shi can summon him you may need a bit of help, hence why myself and Rose are here' he indicated to his team mate 'Mack is trying to gather the others but we're not sure how quickly Dai Shi will be able to summon Agrios; the Fearcats certainly helped him by locating all the artefacts'

'They still don't have them all though' Dom countered, opening his hand to reveal the Sands of Sila he had held so tightly since escaping the battlefield

'It's a start' Rose replied, 'but we're going to need to capture the rest otherwise Dai Shi will have the advantage. Dax and I will help you guys out for the time being; we expect Dai Shi will make a move soon in order to secure the Sands of Sila'

'Thank you, it'll be good to have you on side' RJ nodded in gratification to the two Overdrive rangers, before turning to his father 'you and the other Masters need to be on standby if this turns nasty. We'll endeavour to stop Agrios being summoned but we'll need everything we've got if Dai Shi succeeds'

'The Spirit Rangers are on hand should you need support, and the Zords are available too' Master Finn confirmed.

'I'm aware we haven't properly introduced ourselves' Dax announced to get everyone's attention 'My name is Dax Lo and I'm the Blue Overdrive Ranger'

'No way! You're the guy from those movies!' Casey exclaimed

'I'm not sure which movies you mean, but I'm sure that's me' Dax laughed 'before and after my time as a ranger I was involved in film; it's always been my dream. I began as a stuntman but didn't get much joy from it, so I moved towards the directing scene instead. My first movie is in progress, and I hope to get it released by the end of the year'

'That's highly ambitious' Theo remarked

'Well I feel I have to be ambitious to get where I want to be,' Dax responded confidently to his fellow Blue Ranger 'my time working on set has given me plenty of ideas, now I just have to bring them to life'

'You can do it Dax, we all believe in you!' Rose interjected cheerfully

'And you are?' RJ prompted the Pink Ranger

'My name's Rose, Rose Ortiz' she replied 'I was studying in London before being recruited by Operation Overdrive'

RJ looked shocked 'You're the girl who was building that giant robot! You even wrote a paper on Advanced Nuclear Robotics!'

'Guilty' Rose replied shyly as she held her hands up

'It's a pleasure to meet you' RJ quickly rose from the bean bag he'd been sitting in to furiously shake the Pink Rangers hand

'Are all your team this famous?' Lily asked laughingly

'Mr Hartford wanted people who were capable of mastering the Zords and Ranger powers,' Rose explained 'I suppose he was looking for the best when he picked us' she exchanged a nervous look with Dax; she didn't want to come across as cocky

'Well who better to help us then' Lily's smile put her at ease. She smiled in response and was glad that the group accepted her and Dax; they would need to work together if they were to stop Dai Shi and the summoning of Agrios

'So what's the plan from here?' Dom asked, changing the subject

'We expect Dai Shi to launch an attack to draw us out and get the Sands of Sila' Dax replied

'So we'll need to keep them safe' Casey concluded 'but what do we do now?'

Rose looked thoughtful

'We wait'


	7. Chapter 7

The hall was virtually silent as Dai Shi sat on his throne, thinking about what steps to take to attain the Sands of Sila. He had the advantage; three of the necessary artefacts were in his possession and the troublesome Fearcats were out the way. However the arrival of new rangers had threatened his plans; could another team give the rangers the upper hand?

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Scorch, who had entered the hall through the large doors which served as the entrance and was now approaching his king

'Dai Shi,' he addressed the Phantom Beast King 'we have reason to believe that summoning Agrios was just the beginning of the treacherous Fearcats' plans. They also planned to free their kin from this' he showed his master a small, shattered mirror 'this mirror served as a prison to the other Fearcats, and I think they intended to repair it and free the others in hope of taking over this planet'

'What makes you think this?' Dai Shi asked

'The mirror was found in their possession sir,' Scorch informed him 'the mirror is useless in its current state but, if repaired, it serves as a gateway to the human world. The Fearcats attempted to use it the first time they came here, but those new rangers destroyed it. If we, however, can somehow repair it then perhaps we could harness its power'

Dai Shi thought for a moment 'an army would be good, but we don't have the means to repair such an item'

'What about me?' A new voice spoke from near the door. Dai Shi looked up and Scorch turned to see Camille standing there 'I have the powers of the Phoenix, and that allows me to breathe new life into things, like when a new phoenix is reborn from the ashes of the old one. Maybe my powers would be able to repair the mirror?'

Dai Shi looked at the mirror then back at his faithful servant; that was a plan that might just work...

_Jungle Karma Pizza_

The four Jungle Fury Rangers were training in the loft, with RJ observing and occasionally instructing and the Overdrive rangers watching on

'It's quite amazing you know' Rose said suddenly

'What d'you mean?' Dax asked

'That there are schools like this,' Rose continued 'secretly training students in martial arts. Makes ordinary schools look boring'

'You'd prefer to be doing something like this? You've always loved science Rose' Dax looked confused

'I know I know, it's just weird to think how different things could've been if we were part of something like this rather than where we are now'

'We'd still be rangers, that seems certain' Dax joked; Rose didn't seem to be her usual self and he just wanted to lighten the mood 'how did you get here anyway?'

'Got a message from Mr Hartford,' Rose told him 'said I was needed to be part of 'one last ranger mission' and to meet here'

'So you haven't spoken to Mack then?' Dax asked cautiously, realising he was treading into potentially dangerous territory

'No...we haven't spoken for a while...' She said rather absentmindedly, focusing on the training session the Jungle Fury Rangers were having. Dax decided to leave it for now, but would be sure to talk to Mack when he returned; he didn't know what had gone on, but he wanted to help Rose and he was sure Mack would be pretty down if the two had fallen out. The Blue Ranger was snapped out of his thoughts by the news report showing on the screen

'Looks like Dai Shi's finally decided to turn up,' Theo remarked 'but we're still some rangers short'

'We'll go without them' Rose replied, seemingly happy for the distraction

'Right, keep the Sands of Sila protected at all times' Casey told them, with a nod to Dom who was keeping hold of them. The group nodded in response before going to confront Dai Shi

Ocean Bluff

The rangers were suited up by the time they saw Dai Shi stood with Camille, Scorch and Snapper. Rinshi footsoldiers had been clearing the area and now stood ready for battle

'Hand over the Sands of Sila' Dai Shi instructed, clearly not in the mood to mess around

'Not a chance' Casey replied

'Rinshi!'

The command sent the footsoldiers towards the rangers. Dax and Rose drew their Drive Defenders in sabre mode and attacked the Rinshi, while the Jungle Fury rangers used a series of martial arts techniques to fight them off without the need for weapons. Casey could see Dai Shi was preparing to blast them and quickly summoned the Claw Cannon

'Come on guys, let's finish this' Casey called as Theo and Lily joined him and supported the cannon. Their animal spirits charged the weapon, and Casey quickly fired the beam of energy at Dai Shi. However the villain didn't counter and instead lifted up a small, round object which took the force of the blast. The rangers watched as their blast disappeared and now they could see what Dai Shi had used to defend himself; a mirror

'Huh? What's that?' Casey questioned

'This, Red Ranger, is the Prison Mirror. It has the power to release unimaginable power into this world and will ultimately lead to your end. You have 24 hours to hand over the Sands of Sila, or I will provide this mirror with the final portion of energy necessary to unlock its potential and release the power inside onto this pitiful planet' Dai Shi concluded his speech and, with a final, fearsome look to Casey, he teleported away and leave the rangers to consider the ultimatum

'That Prison Mirror contains the other Fearcats,' Dax told the Jungle Fury Rangers 'we destroyed it last time, but if Dai Shi unlocks its capabilities he'll have an entire army at his disposal

'So why didn't he just do that anyway?' Lily asked

'Maybe he's not sure if he can control the Fearcats,' Rose suggested 'if he's using it as his last resort then perhaps it isn't as good a plan as he wants us to think'

The rangers thought for a moment, but were interrupted by two men who were running towards them. One had a microphone while the other had a camera

'Stop! Power rangers! We'd like an interview! Stop!'

'Erm...you guys might want to get outta here' Dax suggested hastily

'Yeah, our identities are known to the world so the media like to talk to us because we're the only rangers they know' Rose added

'Alright. Meet us back at Jungle Karma Pizza once you've finished your...interview?'

'Yeah, something like that,' Dax replied 'now go, before they try and get you too!'

The Jungle Fury rangers scarpered as the Overdrive rangers powered down and stopped the two men

'How can we help you, gentlemen?' Dax asked

'Quick, get the camera rolling,' the one with the microphone told the other, before turning to Dax 'I'm here with Dax Lo, movie director and Blue ranger of the Operation Overdrive team. Dax, could you explain to me why you're back on ranger duty please?'

'Well it's a long story,' Dax was used to talking to the press, he wasn't going to give away much detail 'but a former enemy of ours has resurfaced, and we needed to come back to solve the problem'

'Is this danger something the people of Ocean Bluff should be worried about?'

'No, not at all' Dax remained composed 'we're already some way through dealing with this threat, and we have the help of the Jungle Fury rangers so things will be resolved soon'

The reporter turned to Rose 'Rose Ortiz, Pink Ranger and scientific genius! What's it like working with a new team? Have there been any arguments?'

'Not really' Rose laughed 'they're a good team, and we're thankful for their help at this time'

'And what about your own team? Mackenzie Hartford, Red Ranger and adventurer was seen not too long ago defending these parts from evil. Can we expect the whole Overdrive team to return, and where is Mack now?'

'Erm...' Rose was left speechless by the questions, as if she was uncomfortable, but Dax intervened

'The other rangers, like us, lead very busy lives,' he told the reporter 'Mack was here but he left to recruit the other rangers, hence why we're here. However it all depends on how quickly they can get here. The hope is that the team will be united and, along with the Jungle Fury rangers, we can stop this threat together'

'Thank you for your time Mr Lo, Miss Ortiz...may we have a picture?'

The two posed with the cameramen, whose looks of excitement made it evident they were fans of the rangers. After getting signatures too, the reporters left them in peace and the two decided to return to JKP

'Sorry about that Rose, I didn't think they'd ask questions about Mack'

'It's fine' Rose shrugged

'What happened between you two?' Dax asked hesitantly

'It's a long story,' Rose began 'things just kinda went weird after Operation Overdrive. Mack and I spent a lot of time together. Things seemed to be moving on, and then suddenly he just left on an expedition without a word. I really like him Dax...but we haven't spoken for a while now. So when that reporter asked about him, I just wished I could turn invisible'

'You can remember,' Dax laughed I'm sure things will be sorted soon. He wouldn't have left unless it was important. Once this is all over things can get back to normal'

'I hope you're right Dax' Rose replied

The two rangers returned to Jungle Karma Pizza and headed up to the attic. They were greeted there by the Jungle Fury team

'The celebrities have returned' Casey laughed

'They just wanted to know what was going on,' Dax replied 'we didn't give them much, but enough to justify our being here'

'So what do we do about Dai Shi?' Dom asked

The rangers looked thoughtful for a moment, before RJ eventually spoke

'We call their bluff,' he said eventually 'we can't just give them the Sands of Sila, and it's likely he'll open the Prison Mirror regardless of whether he's got them or not. We're going to have to fight them either way, so we may as well keep the Sands for now'

'But there's only seven of us,' Theo pointed out 'how do we expect to take on an army?'

'The other Overdrive rangers will be here as soon as possible,' Dax interjected 'we have to put up the best fight possible until they get here'

Casey now stood up, gaining the attention of the gathered rangers

'Then it's settled. Tomorrow, we fight'

_Somewhere on Earth_

In the dead of the night, a small humming could be heard and a single light shone as an object whirred in the sky. Sighting a grassy plane at the entrance to a forest, the object made a slow descent to the ground. As it approached the land the blades of grass stirred, as if disturbed by a helicopter or aeroplane. The object, presumably a spaceship, settled on the grass and the whirring ceased; the light now increased as what can only be described as a door of some sort rose up from the side to reveal the interior of the ship and shed light onto the plane. In the doorway, a figure appeared and stepped out onto the plane, looking at a device held in both hands. At the flick of a switch a noise was heard as two doors parted at the back of the ship and an opening formed, out of which rolled a rather retro-looking motorcycle. The man held the bike by the handlebars and wheeled it to the side of the ship, before propping it up on the fence that ran along the edge of the open space and divided the forest and the row of houses next to it. Though dark, the ship could still be seen by the lights that emanated from inside and in daylight the hulking machine would be seen by all who lived nearby. However at the flick of a switch on the man's device, these lights disappeared. In fact, the whole ship appeared to have disappeared. Satisfied the ship would be safe, the man attached the device to the front of the bike and began typing into it. As he punched at the keys, the bike began to rev and he set off onto the road. He concluded his typing and a map or roads and buildings appeared on the screen, with the destination printed in capitals at the top:

**HARTFORD MANSION, SAN ANGELES**


	8. Chapter 8

The seven rangers were met by the sight of Dai Shi and Camille in their armoured forms, as well as Scorch and Snapper and an army of Rinshi. As they walked forward, Dai Shi stepped up to meet their challenge.

'Have you brought me the Sands of Sila?' He asked

'We will never hand them over to the likes of you' Casey spat

'Very well' Dai Shi replied, before holding up the mirror and charging it with Rinzin power. It began to glow and shimmer before rising up out of Dai Shi's hand and growing to a great size. From the newly formed portal, feline beings began to leap; Casey tried to count but there were too many and they were coming too fast for him to keep track. They surrounded the rangers, clinging to the sides of buildings and gathering on roofs to prevent escape. They looked like the Fearcats the group were used to, except they seemed to chatter and growl and all brandished two daggers, one in each hand.

'You have nowhere to run, rangers' Dai Shi snarled 'you have one last chance to hand over the sands, or my new army will destroy you'

'Prepare for battle rangers' Casey instructed, shaping his arms to begin the Tiger technique. The others followed his lead, with the Overdrive rangers preparing their Drive Defenders in blade mode while the Jungle Fury team got into position for battle. The Fearcats needed little invitation, and took the battle stances as their cue to attack; they leapt at the rangers, daggers held high and aiming at the team. The rangers immediately split up; Theo and Dax teamed up, using the Drive Defender and Jungle Fan to slash at the Fearcats and counter their dagger strikes. Meanwhile Rose had draw her Drive Geyser and spun while she blasted the feline villains, creating a circle of bodies flying through the air. Lily followed her lead and swung the Jungle Mace at them, striking them down in one sweeping motion. Elsewhere Casey, RJ and Dom were taking on another group on Fearcats; a combination of Shark Sabres and the Rhino Blade cut down the advancing beasts, before RJ leapt over his team mates and took down the ones who remained with powerful strikes, powered by his Wolf spirit. However the rangers were up against an endless tide of enemies, and soon the Fearcats were sending them flying; Casey was the last to power down as he was sent hurtling into a solid brick wall. In their weakened state the Jungle Fury rangers mustered what they could of their animal spirits into an attack, but it only cleared a few of the mass of enemies that was now surrounding them.

'You were warned rangers' Dai Shi commented before grabbing Casey and throwing him against the wall for a second time, causing the Sands of Sila to fall from his pocket. He reached out for them desperately but they were quickly snapped up by Camille, who flashed him a devious smile before returning to Dai Shi's side and handing him the artefact.

'We'll be on our way to summon the mighty Agrios, I'm sure the Fearcats can finish you off' Dai Shi laughed before turning to walk away. Dom tried to get up to follow them but was quickly knocked down by a Fearcat; the group still remained surrounded, while a few had broken off from the group to surround Casey, still lying where Dai Shi had thrown him. When Casey looked up the four villains had disappeared, and now he was staring at the snarling faces of the Fearcats that were closing in on him. Two of them grabbed him by his arms and threw him into the same group as the others, where the majority of the Fearcats had congregated; now all the rangers were together, and slowly being closed in on by the army Dai Shi had released. Casey could only watch as the Fearcat closest to him raised his dagger, but before he could bring it down on the Red Jungle Fury ranger he was hit by a blast to the chest and sent reeling backwards. Several more shots hit the Fearcats closest, while the ones further behind were sent crashing to the floor by a blurred shape. Casey could hear more cries of pain from the feline warriors and looked over to see more of them being knocked to the ground, but could only see flashes of silver before they fell. The surprise assault sent most the Fearcats running, spreading out to try and find their assailants. Only a few remained, but as one tried again to attack Casey with his dagger a shape appeared between the two and blocked the strike, before kicking the monster in the chest. A few more tried to attack but the man easily fended them off, and soon they were all spreading out. Casey chanced a glance up at the one who had blocked the strike and recognised him instantly: Mack

'Okay Will we've got them on the run, rangers regroup' Mack ordered using his Overdrive Tracker. The blurred shape swiftly appeared at his side and was revealed to be a woman, with long brunette hair and the same uniform as the Overdrive rangers except with a yellow trim. Mack turned to the Jungle Fury rangers and began helping them up, starting with Casey.

'You guys alright?' he asked

'We are now that you're here' the Red Jungle Fury ranger breathed. He watched as two more men appeared by the side of Mack; one was dark skinned with a black trim on his uniform, while the other had a gingery tinge to his hair and had a silver trim on his uniform.

'Looks like we got here just in time' Mack remarked, the whole team now on their feet. Rose had exclaimed when she saw her team and ran to hug the only other female of the group, while Dax shook hands with the other guys. 'This is the rest of the Overdrive team; Ronny Robinson, Yellow Ranger' he said, turning to Ronny and introducing her.

'The famous car driver? You've gotta be kidding' Dom exclaimed

'That's the one' Ronny replied sheepishly

'You guys really are a team of celebrities aren't you?' Theo commented, still sounding sceptical

'Our lives as rangers replaced all that; we're committed to the job Theo , don't worry' Mack replied, seemingly gaining the Blue Jungle Fury ranger's approval. 'then we have Will Aston, Black Ranger; he's sort of a spy for hire, so the least likely to appear in front of the cameras'

'Like James Bond?' Lily inquired

'Sorta' Will replied 'except far cooler and better at taking down the bad guys'

'Not big headed or anything then' Theo muttered under his breath, earning a slap on the arm from Lily

'And last Tyzonn, Mercury Ranger' Mack finished. Tyzonn gave a simple wave 'I'm not a celebrity, but considering I'm not even from this planet I think I qualify' he smiled

'An alien? Interesting' RJ commented

'Well thanks for the help back there,' Casey put in 'What's the plan of action now?'

Well,' Mack began 'the Fearcats are on the run; the ones we dealt with were the only ones with brains, and without Dai Shi about they appear to have lost their way a little. They'll be spreading round the city though, so they still need to be stopped. You're the Red Ranger though Casey, it's your turn to lead now'

Casey stood in thought for a moment; the responsibility was on him now. He would be taking the test to earn his master stripes very soon, and he needed to prove that he was worthy of the honour. The Fearcats were running about the city and needed to be stopped, but so did Dai Shi before he summoned Agrios. Casey needed to act fast, and formed a plan in his head

'Okay,' he finally said 'here's what we're gonna do'


End file.
